Balmain SS26: Olivier Rousteing’s Return to Freedom

Balmain Spring Summer 26 ; Image Source : The Impression

Professor Ivan Allegranti is a seasoned freelance journalist and academic…

Olivier Rousteing returned to the Intercontinental Hotel ballroom—the site of his 2011 debut—to reflect on his evolution from a shy 26-year-old to a visionary force. Fourteen years later, opulence remains, but it breathes easier: seashells and wooden beads adorned fringed dresses and bags, while fluid silk and satin replaced rigid blazers.

Drop-shouldered leather blousons nodded to the ’80s, and crystal bodices embodied barefoot luxury. At 40, Rousteing turns inward, embracing reinvention through authenticity, deconstructing Balmain’s “Army” into something organic, bohemian, and free—an evolution that feels deeply personal and resolutely modern.

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Ivan Allegranti

Professor Ivan Allegranti is a seasoned freelance journalist and academic based in Italy, with a strong foundation in law and a teaching role in Bratislava. His journey into the world of fashion began in an unlikely place, as an apprentice in a tailor’s shop. Quickly realising that his strengths lay not in the precision of the needle but in the art of storytelling, he turned his focus to chronicling the brands, artists, and visionaries who define the luxury industry. Today, he combines his legal expertise, academic insight, and narrative flair to bring depth and perspective into GAZETTA. @ivanallegranti